militarywikiaorg-20200222-history
Ben Agajanian
|birth_place=Santa Ana, California |death_date= |death_place=Cathedral City, California |height_ft=6 |height_in=0 |weight_lbs=215 |high_school= San Pedro (CA) |college=New Mexico Compton (CA) Junior College |undraftedyear=1941 |pastteams= * Philadelphia Eagles ( ) * Pittsburgh Steelers ( ) * Los Angeles Dons (1947–1948) * New York Giants ( ) * Los Angeles Rams ( ) * New York Giants ( – ) * Los Angeles Chargers (1960) * Dallas Texans (1961) * Green Bay Packers ( ) * Oakland Raiders (1962) * San Diego Chargers (1964) |highlights= * 2× NFL champion (1956, 1961) |nflnew=benagajanian/2508255 |pfr=A/AgajBe20 }} Benjamin James "The Toeless Wonder" Agajanian (August 28, 1919 – February 8, 2018) was a former American football player, primarily a placekicker in the National Football League, and also in the All-America Football Conference and American Football League. Born in Santa Ana, California, he graduated from San Pedro High School in the San Pedro community in Los Angeles. A placekicker, he played college football at Compton Junior College and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a physical training instructor. Agajanian played professionally in the National Football League from 1945 through 1959, then in the newly formed American Football League for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers in 1960, 1961, and 1964. He also played for the Dallas Texans in 1961 and the Oakland Raiders in 1962. He was one of only two players (the other was Hardy Brown) who played in the All-America Football Conference, the American Football League, and the National Football League.Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.54, 2008, Random House, Agajanian had four toes of his kicking foot crushed and later amputated in a work accident in 1939 while playing in college, but overcame the injury to become pro football's second kicking specialist (after Mose Kelsch), booting field goals for 10 different professional teams in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, including two NFL champions: the New York Giants in 1956 and the Green Bay Packers in 1961. After retiring from the field at age 45, he was the Dallas Cowboys kicking coach for 20 years. Agajanian died in Cathedral City, California on February 8, 2018 at age 98. References External links * * Ben Agajanian, the oldest living Los Angeles Ram at 96, gets a real kick out of their return to L.A. * *"Ben Agajanian, Square-Shoed Kicking Star, Dies at 98," by RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, The New York Times, Feb. 13, 2018 Category:1919 births Category:2018 deaths Category:American football placekickers Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:Players of American football from California Category:Dallas Cowboys coaches Category:Dallas Texans (AFL) players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Los Angeles Chargers players Category:Los Angeles Dons players Category:College football players in the United States Category:New York Giants players Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Sportspeople from Santa Ana, California Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:American Football League players Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers